İbrahim Karagül, in his column from yesterday was saying: ‘It seems as though the political borders of the passage extending from the Iranian border to the Mediterranean will never be as it is today. Actually, both Iraq and Syria have become the extended battlefronts of the Arab-Iranian power struggle.’
This is for certain: In the geography called the Middle East by Westerners, superpowers have a never-ending shameless struggle; and inevitably, when this happens, it is always those at the very bottom who suffer the most and pay the price.
This is such a geographical area that there is no guarantee that for what is happening to Iraq, Syria and Yemen today will not start to take place in Lebanon or Jordan tomorrow.
Tanks helplessly proceed on the frozen lake of the Middle East, which is frozen, but does not have the strength to carry even a single person.
It seems like this is a death match of chess. For now, Iran and Saudi Arabia seem like they are the most significant players of this chess game. I say ‘seem like’, because I almost have no doubt that the great ‘master’ runs with the hare and hunts with the hounds. Even though they did not create the current chaotic situation by themselves, the new centers of colonialism surely exploit it and get their share of the pie.
Notwithstanding, if it was up to our local ghosts; it is Turkey who started the war, extended it and was behind the current situation in Syria. This sickening circle - which I have no doubt that they receive direct support from Iran or Syria - has a disgusting agenda with a main heading called “Selling Turkey.” One does not only need to be blind, but also needs to be evil-minded to not see that since the beginning, Turkey is making an effort to do the best that it can despite the fact that things do not proceed as envisioned and is trying to stand where it wants to stay.
If we are talking about ISIL in Syria or Iraq today, the sole culprit of this is the Islamic community, which has refused to intervene in the Syrian crisis. Turkey is the only Muslim country which made a bid for Syria so that things would not come to a boil.
Don’t get me wrong. I am certainly aware that Turkey has made some important strategic mistakes besides becoming isolated. However, all of the mistakes, including these, do not change the fact that the Turkish government is the only government truly worried about the survival of the Syrian people.
Yes, I said the ‘Syrian people.’ The people who will lose an average of 100 lives between the duration of the time I write this piece and you read it. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that I am using this term without making any distinction between Sunnis, Alawites, Shia, Druze, Christian, Kurdish, Arab or Turkmen.
A country has been under constant demolition with all elements of its people for a period of three years.
On top of that, Syria has become the new subject of the death chess of neo-colonialism.
As all of these take place in Syria, a new sectarian-based civil war erupted. As you know, the Iraqi army, which had become a Shiite army and entered Tikrit with the support of Iran, called their operation the “Vengeance of Hussein.” The idea of ‘Husayn ibn Ali seeking revenge from Sunnis’ indicates that there is a sharp sectarian war. Moreover, this is exactly what ISIL wants. It looks like ISIL, which has targeted the Shiite population more than the ‘infidel’, got its way. The low-to-moderate intensity sectarian war has now topped the agenda with all its intensity and ISIL, who has claimed to be the ‘protector of Sunnis in Iraq’ since the beginning, is the one who had intended to benefit from this.
What must be done at this juncture? More importantly, is there anything that can still be done at this point? I don't have the answers to both of these questions. I can only say this much. More importantly, they are probably too busy enjoying the sectarian war which was presented to them. The desire to kick up dust in Syria and Iraq has reached success at a great pace.
All conditions were meticulously created to prevent the re-establishment of the balance of the quadruplet Islamic world consisting of Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. You have no moves left when neo-colonialism checkmates you.
We only have prayers left in our hands.
Chess champion Kasparov once said, "When that big moment comes, do the only thing you can. You must make your move without hesitance and pray that you will stay in the game."
